Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo063&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, white and red-purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo063’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2001 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo063’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has white flowers with a medium pink central bar, while the newly claimed variety has white flowers with a red-purple central bar. The male pollen parent has light pink flowers. The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant white and red-purple flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo063’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2002. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo063’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2002. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo063’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo063’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems bearing axillary borne flower buds. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo063’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Yamhill County, Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using the Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Poulala’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,990 are compared to ‘Evipo063’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo063’ ‘Poulala’ Flower diameter 130 mm 130 mm Tepal upper White Group N155B Yellow Group 10D surface after with a central bar opening Red-Purple Group 60C blended with light intonations of Purple-Violet Group N81C Tepal count 7 6 to 8

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is             generally from April to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 45 mm in length. Bud diameter is             20 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Bud form: Elliptic. Bud color:             Yellow-Green Group 145B.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Pubescent. Length: On average             60 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 145A.             Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad             funnel. Size: 1 mm (h)×4 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group             145A.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth.             Borne: Clusters of 5 to 9 flowers per flowering stem.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 130 mm in             diameter and 20 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are             slightly cupped. Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers             normally remain up to 10 days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: The upper surface is White Group N155B             with a central bar Red-Purple Group 60C blended with light             intonations of Purple-Violet Group N81C. Underneath White             Group N155B with a central bar Yellow-Green Group 145C.             Quantity: Normally 7 tepals. Size: 70 mm in length by 40 mm             wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal             apex is mucronate. The tepal base acute. Apex Recurvature:             Slightly recurved. Tepal Cross section: Flat. Margins:             Entire. Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Open. Pollen: None             observed. Anthers: Size: 10 mm in length. Color:             Greyed-Orange Group N170C. Quantity: On average, 65.             Filaments: Color: White Group 157A. Length: 10 mm. Pistils:             Quantity: On average, 35. Styles: Color: Green-White Group             157A. Length: 10 mm. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 35 to 45 cm in height. Average             spread is 30 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B.             Mature stems are Greyed-Orange Group 175A. Internodes: On             average, 8 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 10 cm from the             base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture: Mature stems are generally             ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 110 mm             (1)×112 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 45 mm (1)×30 mm (w).             Abundance: On average 1 leaf per 10 cm of stem. Leaf Color:             Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A. Juvenile lower             Yellow-Green Group 144B. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group             147B. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 147C. Stipules:             Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 35 mm in length by mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A             underneath, Greyed-Purple Group 187A above. Petioloule:             Size: Normally 10 mm in length by mm diameter. Texture:             Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A underneath,             Greyed-Purple Group 187A above. Leaflet Shape: Generally             broad based elliptic. The base is rounded. The apex is             acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper side is smooth.             The lower side is smooth. Thickness: Moderate. Glossiness:             Not glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis             known to the inventors.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo063’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant white and red-purple flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 